Scrapping the county's child and family services unit and reducing the satellite clinics to part time will save $1.5 million and result in 28 layoffs and 25 unfilled vacancies.

"Our current service model is completely unsustainable," Hein said.

People served at the county-run unit could receive treatment at Astor Services for Children and Families, which will be expanding to Ulster in 2013.

Hein's budget includes a plan for flow control — a requirement that all waste generated in Ulster cross the Resource Recovery Agency's scales. This would take the 2013 RRA subsidy from $2.5 million to nothing.

Monopoly power enables the trash agency to set disposal fees as high as necessary to meet yearly expenses.

Municipalities would see their tipping fees stay steady at around $85 per ton, said budget director J.J. Hanson, while fees for private haulers would jump from as little as $76 to $102.

"I give Mike (Hein) a whole lot of credit for signing onto this idea," said RRA board member Charles Landi.

The budget also begins a three-year shift of welfare costs from the municipalities to the county. This will cost Ulster $1.7 million in 2013, and $5.6 million annually by 2015.

The additional expense will not be offset by withholding sales tax revenue to towns.

"Having the extra money will be huge," said Wawarsing Supervisor Scott Carlsen. The county takeover will save his town $239,000 in 2013 and $806,000 annually by 2015.

The budget eliminates the quasi-private Ulster County Development Corporation and brings all economic development in-house.

"The current UCDC/IDA (Industrial Development Agency) model is broken," Hein said. "It is ineffective, disjointed and in its current form leads to fragmented and duplicative economic development efforts."

A newly-formed office of business services would be led by March Gallagher, Hein's deputy director for economic development. The county will also offer to provide administrative and business assistance to the IDA.

Ulster's Golden Hill nursing home is slated to have a $8.9 million operating shortfall in 2013, which will be covered by a county subsidy. The home is expected to be in private hands by the end of next year.